Iran and Venezuela signed 19 cooperation documents and memoranda of understanding during Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi�s official visit to Caracas.

Cooperation and participation in areas such as communications and information technology, energy, insurance, maritime transport, higher education, agriculture, medicine, cultural exchanges, as well as the development of mineral cooperation, were among the important documents signed between the two countries on Monday.

The Iranian president arrived in Caracas earlier on Monday for a three-leg tour of Latin America that will later take him to Nicaragua and Cuba.

In comments at a joint press conference with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro oin Caracas, Raisi said Iran and Venezuela would increase the volume of bilateral trade to 20 billion dollars.

"We have decided to increase the cooperation between the two countries," he said.

�The volume of trade exchanges between Iran and Venezuela will be increased to 10 billion dollars in the first step, which can be raised to 20 billion dollars in the second step,� Iran's president said.

Raisi noted that Tehran�s relations with Caracas are not ordinary diplomatic ties, but are of a strategic nature.

�Having common interests, positions and enemies has helped deepen cooperation between the two countries and make it strategic,� the Iranian president said, Press TV reported.

A high-ranking delegation comprised of ministers of foreign affairs, oil, defense, and health is accompanying Raisi on the five-day tour of Latin America.

Iran has close ties with many Latin American states in different fields and seeks to further deepen those relations.

By Tasnim